Bingara, in the Shire of Gwydir, faces problems similar to other parts of rural Australia: declining population with resultant lack of employment opportunities; withdrawal of services to provincial and even metropolitan cities; and a difficult future maintaining its viability.
General Manager Max Eastcott said if something was not done to arrest these trends, the future looked grim.
He understood the steps towards regeneration were in the development of training and employment opportunities. He formed the Gwydir Learning Region overseen by an advisory committee comprising key educational, business and community partners.
“From the point of view of local government, the Gwydir Learning Region demonstrates the importance and value of Council involvement in new partnerships and with the social infrastructure of rural and remote communities, where those communities want to build social capital and create their own positive options for the future.”
The Roxy Theatre was built in the heyday of the town’s growth but had become run down and disused. With use of heritage money and local resources, the theatre was restored to allow multipurpose use – theatre productions, film evenings, social occasions, receptions and musical evenings. It became a focus for gatherings of people from the surrounding districts.
Additional local and government resources were sought to build a training commercial kitchen adjoining the theatre, setting up training facilities for hospitality students. Local government and businesses provided the trainees. Thus it not only provided training for such students but could also be used for catering purposes for functions held in the theatre.
The Gwydir Learning Region is a leading member of the Australian Learning Community Network. Learning communities are place-based community-led initiatives that engage organisations, businesses, government and individuals in building social and economic initiatives and using learning to regenerate and build sustainable communities in the face of increasing change faced by the world today.
The Roxy Theatre redevelopment is only one of various strategies undertaken by the Shire of Gwydir to combat the loss of social and economic opportunities, but it illustrates clearly many of the principles underpinning a learning community, including the need for local ‘drivers’ or catalysts, the promotion of social inclusiveness, and the bringing together of resources through partnership to address problems.
